04/08/2026
NEW YORK WOMAN SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS FOR ELDER FRAUD SCHEME
LEESBURG, Virginia – March 26, 2026. Jiemin Pan, 58, appeared before the Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing after a jury previously convicted her of one count of Obtaining Money by False Pretense, and one count of Conspiracy to Obtain Money by False Pretense. The Honorable Douglas L. Fleming, Jr., sentenced Pan to serve an active period of incarceration of 7 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections. Upon release from prison, Pan will be required to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victims of her crimes in Loudoun.
Pan was found guilty of the offenses on December 17, 2025, after a three-day jury trial. Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dircia Schubert represented the Commonwealth.
In January 2025, an elderly couple used a web search engine to find contact information for a popular antivirus software company to inquire about a charge made by the company to their bank account. The couple unintentionally visited a phishing website and called the telephone number listed on the scam site. The representative indicated to the couple that fraudulent activity had occurred on their account and then asked for their banking information. Believing that the request was legitimate, the couple complied and provided their bank account information. The imposter antivirus software company representative then initiated a three-way call with the elderly couple and a bogus bank representative who told the couple that there were fraudulent charges on their bank account and asked the victims which banking location they frequented. Upon learning the location, the phony bank representative advised that that branch location was suspected of being involved in fraudulent activity and told the victims to withdraw $20,000 from their bank account in order to protect their money. A different banking representative would then come to their Ashburn home to retrieve the money and deposit the funds into a new certified account. The victims were told that a female named “Grace” would provide a passcode when retrieving the money. The bank representative instructed the couple to keep their phone lines occupied because their phones had been hacked and were being monitored. This was a ruse intended to keep the couple from contacting family members or law enforcement. When the elderly couple arrived at the bank, the scammers instructed them to remain on the line so that they could monitor the transaction and to hide their phones. After just over an hour of returning from the bank, Pan was at the victims’ home to retrieve the $20,000, posing as “Grace” and gave the previously provided passcode. The victims handed over the cash. The entire incident took place over the course of 4 hours. None of the stolen funds have been recovered.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after being contacted by the victims. Detectives positively identified Jiemin Pan as “Grace,” and warrants for her arrest were subsequently issued. Pan was in the custody of the York-Poquoson Sherriff’s Office being held on charges for other fraud schemes committed in York County.
“Criminals who target our most vulnerable members, such as the elderly, are reprehensible. The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney will seek to hold the offenders of these crimes accountable to protect our community. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office performed a thorough investigation so that this individual could face justice, and I commend their Financial and Cybercrime Unit for their professionalism and diligence,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Bob Anderson.
During the sentencing hearing, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dircia Schubert presented evidence that emphasized the high level of sophistication and high-pressure tactics employed by the scammers to deceive the victims. Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Schubert argued for a punishment above the recommended sentencing guidelines due to the impact that this crime has had on the victims and to deter others from committing such acts. Schubert said, “she took a sum of $20,000 from retirees who are on a fixed income … she is the reason why the [victims] don’t have $20,000 and have lost their sense of safety … the circumstances warrant a sentence above the guidelines … for those reasons I’d ask that your Honor impose an active period of incarceration to deter her and any of her cohorts from engaging in acts of crimes of fraud in Loudoun County.”
The punishment recommended by the Virginia Sentencing Guidelines was probation with no incarceration.
Before he pronounced Pan’s sentence, Chief Judge Fleming, Jr., said “she preyed on the elderly … people who were not technologically savvy, and who came from a generation when you trusted those you thought were in a position of authority—you did what you were told … the conduct of people who take advantage of the most vulnerable in society is particularly reprehensible … the guidelines in this case are wholly inadequate.” Pan was sentenced to 15 years, with 8 years suspended. The suspended sentence is conditioned upon the satisfactory completion of 5 years of supervised probation, and payment of $20,000 in restitution to the victims.
Full release: https://www.loudoun.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/10540
